|
   |
|
Entering Valle del Elqui, the geo-magnetic center of the earth, I was expecting to feel something more obvious, more cosmic. In the weeks before my trip, just about anyone to whom I mentioned it had a story about its mystical energy and extraordinary healing powers. But by the end of my stay, the otherworldly scenery and deeply relaxing atmosphere had more than made up for the lack of a transcendent experience. Valle del Elqui is an oasis tucked in the foothills of the Andes nearly 600 kilometers north of Santiago, just south of the Atacama Desert. Stretching from 50 to 100 kilometers west of La Serena, it consists of a narrow strip of fertile land covered with plantations of papayas, chirimoyas and vineyards. In contrast, the green valley floor is surrounded on both sides by steep mountains of desert, lined with prickly cacti. Deep into the valley, around Cochiguaz, its esoteric appeal becomes more noticeable. New age music can be heard in practically every cafe and restaurant, and advertisements for tarot card readings and meditation sessions hang from almost every country home. In recent years, there has been a massive effort to emphasize the mystical aspects of the valley, due to its incredible ability to induce relaxation, derived from its natural concentration of energies. The valley’s calming effect is indisputable. Within minutes of stepping foot outside a moving vehicle, you feel immersed in its peacefulness. The only sounds are the songs of birds, the whispers of the Mistral breeze and the soothing flow of the Cochiguaz River. Explanations of the source of the area’s famed energy have become part of Chilean pop culture. Some attribute it to the power of the sun, which shines here an average of 360 days a year without clouding over. The clarity and altitude of the valley also makes for a remarkable night sky; many of the world’s best observatories crown the valley’s mountains. Another popular myth has it that Valle del Elqui marks the third point in a triangle composed of the Egyptian Pyramids and the Mayan Pyramids. But most locals I met agreed on two things. First, that the mountains of the valley contain an abundance of minerals, such as copper and magnesium, magnetic rocks with beneficial healing powers. The second theory is that Valle del Elqui is diametrically opposite the Himalayan mountains. Cochiguaz is at 30 degrees south, while Lhasa, Tibet is at 30 degrees north, and the earth’s geomagnetic gateway is said to enter from one end, and exit out the other, in alternating cycles. A similar story retold in guidebooks is that the center of energy is said to shift every 12,992 years from the Himalayas to the Andes, and that the current shift occur in 2012. |
